DETECTION OF LEVELS OF ZINC , IRON , COPPER , TRACE ELEMENTS AND LEAD , CADMIUM IN SHEEP GROWN IN TRAKYA , A PART OF MARMARA REGION IN TURKEY

This study realised in Trakya, a part of Marmara Region which is one of the seven different regions in Turkey, is aimed to detect the levels of trace elements as copper, iron, zinc and cadmium and lead in the organism in order to obtain more efficient economical results and healthier sheep breeds. At the beginning, Trakya Region was divided into 5 different districts and 30-50 sheep were chosen from each district and a total of 200 sheep were used in this study. Serum analyses showed a few decreases in the iron levels in the 2nd and 4th districts and the lowest zinc level was found in the 1st district. While the lowest copper level existed in the 3rd district, the highest lead level in the 2nd district, and finally the highest cadmium level was in the 5th district. As a result, we found that it is necessary to add these trace elements in the diet of the animals and considerable attachments of trace elements with lead and cadmium in order to apply an efficient prophylactic and therapeutic program. Also, the necessity of a similar study for the water, plant and soil samples in the region and the detection of correlation between them are revealed.

The importance of many inorganic elements, classified as macro and micro-elements, on nourishment and growth of man and animals has been definitely accepted and recognized recently Š2¹.The diseases due to deficiencies or excess of macro and micro-elements in animals are of a remarkable importance.While the deficiency or excess of one or a few elements damages normal functions of the body, a disproportion among elements prevents the regular working of the organism regularly Š5¹.
While the deficiencies or the excess of trace elements in animals result in serious clinical disorders, it has been detected in recent years that they also result in important economic losses.Clinical signs seen in the deficiency of trace elements in animals are diarrhoea, anemia, alopecia, depigmentation, development disorders in osseous tissues, trouble in walking, a scrufy appearance on the skin, hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, anorexia, fertility problems, disorders in foetus development, decreasing of productivity, tetany, decreasing in protein synthesis, insufficiencies in the immune system, abortions which are not related to infections and pica Š7, 12, 13, 1, 5, 22, 20, 23¹.It has been announced that trace elements functioned as hormone and vitamins and have come into existence in whole geographic regions and in whole climatic districts of the world Š17, 5¹.It has also been reported that the losses which result from the effects of trace elements were as important as the losses resulting from infectious and parasitic diseases Š5¹.This is because trace elements have a great importance in regard to the increasing or resistance against diseases in living beings.
Various systems are affected because or deficiency or excess of trace elements such as zinc, copper and iron, or negative effects on those elements by pollution with metals such as lead and cadmium.In consequence, specific diseases conected to the element in question may occur or happen preparatory to factors for the occurrence of various diseases Š13, 2, 1, 5¹.
The aim of this project is to determine the levels of trace elements in sheep in the Trakya Region and, in consequence, provide recommendations to veterinary surgeons and to sheep breeders of this region.
The research has been carried out on a total of 200 sheep, 2-3 years old, of the Kivircik breed.Samples were collected from different farms in 5 different districts of the Trakya Region as shown in Map 1, Table 1.Sheep were randomly chosen and were not heavily pregnant or recently lambed.Sheep were subjected to a regular antiparasitary cure after feces examination.The research was organised from April to June.All animals were grazing on the field.2. According to Table 2; it has been observed that serum zinc levels of sheep in the 1 st and 3 rd districts were the lowest; in connection with the trace element of iron, there were decreases in the 2 nd and 4 th districts; in connection with the trace element of copper the limit lowest level was observed in sheep in the 3 rd district; in connection with lead, the lowest level was observed in the 5 th and the highest one in the 4 th districts, and in connection with cadmium, the lowest level was observed in the 1 st and the highest one in the 5 th districts.

Results / Rezultati
When compared with other countries in connection with the number of animals with economic value, Turkey is among the top ranks, however, at a level higher than the expected in connection with products such as meat, milk, wool and leather obtained from these animals Š1, 5¹.The deficiencies of trace elements play a role as important as the infectious and parasitary diseases in the formation of this condition Š20¹.A similar appearance has been seen in the Trakya Region where the study was carried out.It has been determined that the level of the diseases due to parasitary and trace element deficiencies was very high after interviews with animal breeders and veterinary surgeons.Animal health problems such as abortion, trouble in walking in new birth lambs, fertility problems, weight loss, lack of putting on weight in spite of proper rations, diarrhoea, growth disorders, susceptibility to infectious diseases, and decrease, in the quality of wool were in conformity with the data reported in literature Š2, 19¹.
While Nelson and others Š16¹ reported that they had determined a serum level of zinc of 0,32-0,40 µg/mL during a period of observing anorexia, wool eating, alopecia, hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis; Camas and others Š5¹ reported that this level was 25,0-48,0 µg/dL.Serum zinc levels except in the 1 st district in the study, were within the above mentioned limits.The serum zinc level was low in the 1 st region.
While the normal serum copper level for sheep reported by various researchers Š13, 9¹ was respectively 59-101 µg/dL and 80-120 µg/dL, the lowest values determined in our studies proved how serious the problem is for the Trakya Region.Especially, the correlation between the decrease of serum copper values under the value of 50 µg/dL reported by researchers and the increase of the risk of enzootic ataxia, has brought to light that this was an important threat to the Trakya Region.Signs such as depigmentation, weight loss, stopping of growth, diarrhoea and ataxia, caused by reduced serum copper levels, were in conformity with the data reported in literature Š8, 11, 21¹.
While Underwood Š20¹ reported that the serum iron level was 102-304 µg/dL, Nazki and Rattan Š15¹ reported that this level for the same trace element was 115-234 µg/dL.Although a decrease in the serum iron level below 40 µg/dL reported by Ghosal and Mathur Š9¹ has not been observed in any district of the Region, in our opinion, the existence of a potential risk for the Region should not be disregarded.In this connection, it is well known that lack in trace element copper, together with lack of trace element iron, leads to serious anaemia and in consequence, results in a predisposition to parasitary diseases.Researchers Š10, 18, 1¹ especially announced that high levels of cobalt, zinc, cadmium, manganese and copper, diminish the absorption of the trace element iron.In parallel with industrial development, increased levels of lead and cadmium in sheep of the Trakya Region have been observed, and this consequence caused undesirable results, such as environmental pollution, serious metalic toxication risks and negative ef-Discussion / Diskusija fects on trace elements.As it has been determined and announced by the researchers Š14, 12¹, this resulted in the presence of exceeding levels of lead and cadmium, and the hemopoietic system, being the preceeding one, urogenital system, gastrointestinal system and neurologic system, as well as the absorption of the other trace elements are negatively affected.
In resolving the problems of the sector of sheep breeding, which result in very important inputs such as meat, milk, wool and leather, in connection with the economy, and considering the results of research generalized with the objective to determine the effects of environmental factors, remarkable differences have been observed between the regions, regarding the levels of existence of trace elements found in animals.In consequence of the realized studies, now we believe that, by transmitting this information to animal breeders and local veterinary surgeons in the regions in question, important developments could be obtained both in treatment and control of the diseases directly related to the lack of trace elements and in treatment and control of parasitary, bacterial and viral diseases caused by the affecting of the concerned systems.
We believe that important reductions in disease incidences, morbidity and mortality ratios will be obtained by carrying out similar studies comprising the other trace elements in the same region within the extent of the existing possibilities, as well as carrying out extended studies in other regions and so by determining the trace element levels in the soil, water and plants everywhere in Turkey.

Tabela 1 .
Oblasti u kojima je obavljeno uzorkovanje u regionu Trakija , Pýnarhisar and surrounding villages / Saraj, Vize, Pinarhisar i okolna sela 40 V Kirklareli, Dereköy and surrounding villages / Kirklareli, Derekoj i okolna sela 30 Approximately 10 cc of blood were bled from the vena jugularis of randomly selected sheep of each district into vacotioner tubes containing anticoagu-lant agents or not.Levels of zinc, iron, copper, lead and cadmium were measured with a Shimadzu AA-680 model atomic absorbtion spectrophotometer according to the used technique Š4, 3¹.The mean values (x), standard deviations (Sx) and multiple comparisons were done by the Duncan F test Š6¹.Mean values and standard deviations of serum trace elements (Zn, Fe and Cu) and Pb and Cd levels of 200 sheep in different districts of the Trakya Region are shown in Table
This work was supported by the Research Fund of The University of Istanbul.Project Number: UDP-62/15082002

Table 1 .
Sampling districts in Trakya Region